Eleutheroi (Anatolia)
Anatolikoi Phyletai (Anatolian Hillmen) These troops are armed with a large axe, with a double, half-moon shaped blade called a Bipennis. They also use a wooden, crescent-shaped shield similar to the old Greek Pelte. They favour bright clothing and often paint their shields in garish colours. Their charges are dangerous for most enemies and even the stoutest armour will suffer from a blow of the weapons they wield. However, being lightly protected themselves protracted fighting will see their casualties mounting. Historically, the Anatolian highlands always featured axes in their warfare. The axe was the characteristic weapon of the infantry recruited there and they excelled in its use. The more civilized nations often suffered from attacks by the mountain tribes of Anatolia. Wise kings have put this to use, and these men are recruited from the native tribesmen who sell their warrior skills to the highest bidder. Katpatuka Zanteush (Cappadoccian Hillmen) These fierce tribesmen come from the ancient land of Kappadokia, the Hittite, Katpatuka 'land of the beautiful horses'. The tribal warriors raised in the mountains of Kappadokia know the terrain and are well equipped, with javelin and axe, for mountain warfare. They will not do as well away from these heights, as they lack the heavier armour of the Greek infantry. Their axes and javelins will allow them to give a good account of themselves but heavy melee should be avoided. Historically, while some of the tribes living in the mountains were hostile towards the Greeks, others cultivated very close relationships with them. It is from these mountain warriors the Tibareni and Chaldaei tribesmen, the Mossynoecians, Makrones and other tribes residing in the eastern part of Northern Anatolia, that the skirmishers of Pontos are recruited. the terrain of Pontos is well suited to the style of warfare these men are practiced at. The Pontic Alps stand as a wall between the interior plateau and the rich, narrow plain bordering the sea. These tribes ward the mountain approaches and the kings of Pontos know well the value of such friendship. Xenophon too found such frienship of great value in his passage of these regions. Many of these mountains are thoroughly impassable and altogether precipitous, and there are extensive areas devoid of human habitation, only plunging ravines from which it is impossible to climb out, forested heights and impassable chasms. Misthophoroi Uazali (Mercenary Karian Warband) The Uazali are warbands of soldiers from the peoples of the southern coast of Mikra Asia: the Karians, Lykians, Pamphylians, and Pisidians. These warlike peoples have long traditions of military service abroad, and of nearly constant local warfare between the small cities and towns separated by the towering heights of the western Taurus. These Uazali are skilled mountain fighters. Their name comes from the Lykian tongue, and means "Warriors," and is similar also to the words used by the other peoples along the southern coast of Mikra Asia, all of whose languages derived primarily from the Hittite tongue. The Uazali carry a solid rectangular shield slung over the shoulder to ease the burden on the arms, emblazoned with signs of their peoples, and wear a solid Phrygian helm, a common form of protection among those in Asia who could afford such things. For weapons, they carry several javelins and a lengthened xiphos sword, which became a popular weapon in Mikra Asia, both as a result of the Iphikratid reforms, and out of experience fighting the Galatai, with their longswords. Their shields and helmets provide them a great deal of protection compared to most other skirmishing units, and their ferocity in melee surpasses most of their peers. Historically, many young men from Karia, Lykia, Pamphylia and Pisidia went overseas to serve as mercenaries, or were recruited in their native lands as militias and katoikoi for the successors. Many of the most Hellenized inhabitants joined the ranks of thureophoroi and other medium infantry units in other lands. Many others, however, stayed closer to their native infantry traditions, and served abroad as warrior bands, or as locally-recruited troops in their own lands. They were used to great effect in irregular mountain combat, but also distinguished themselves in assaults, and if they end up in the battle line in major pitched battle, a good commander will maximize their skirmishing and melee abilities by using them in a flanking, ambushing, or screening role if at all possible. Category:Eleutheroi